More

More from Complex Networks

Complex International

COMPLEX participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means COMPLEX gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. Our editorial content is not influenced by any commissions we receive.

"Poetic Justice" f/ Drake

Produced By: Scoop DeVille

Kendrick Lamar: “If you listen to ‘Poetic Justice,’ it’s a song about a chick saying these legs are poems. On the back end of that, is really the Sherane joint, so it’s a dedication song for Sherane. And that’s going into ‘good kid’ and ‘m.A.A.d city’ which completes the story.

“Me and Drake had been working for a while off the fact that I was on his tour and I was on Take Care. We were talking about what joints we wanted to do. When Scoop shot me the track, I immediately came up with the concept of doing that vibe and the first person I had in mind was Drake. Drake killed it and it came out crazy. I think that’s going to sit for awhile.”

The sample [of Janet Jackson’s ‘Any Time, Any Place’] is so crazy so the fact that it was even cleared amazes me. —Scoop DeVille

Scoop DeVille: “I linked with TDE family almost five years ago. We all knew of each other from working with Game in his studio sessions and coming up around the same time. TDE always showed me a lot of love and I'm riding with the whole squad. If there’s anybody hustling in a new era of hip-hop on the West, it's TDE.

“[A while back, I got into the studio with Kendrick in New York.] After ‘The Recipe’ dropped, it was top priority to get in and make some more pieces. We played a lot of joints that night. That sample flip was a special piece that I was saving for the right artist. I been a fan of what Kendrick has been bringing to the table and it seemed like the right fit and everybody else liked it too. The sample [of Janet Jackson’s ‘Any Time, Any Place’] is so crazy so the fact that it was even cleared amazes me.”

Punch: “We started recording that a while before he actually laid the vocals. That was probably one of the more difficult records because we knew people would love that record and it could possibly be a smash, so it took a while before we could get the right approach. We were in New York and he recorded the first verse and the hook. When we got back to L.A. he finished it. Then he re-arranged it. Then we put Drake on it. It took months to get that song [finished].

Drake and OVO and all them is like family, so as soon as they heard that it was all love. As soon as we sent it to them, he sent it right back. —MixedByAli

“We’re definitely not using Drake just because he’s Drake. The song sounds like Drake, it sounds like his lane. We’re definitely not forcing him on at all. That's how Kendrick works—if it fits the song then it’s whatever. But just because you’re a superstar doesn’t mean you’re right for this record. So it was a conscious decision to get Drake for that song.”

MixedByAli: “We were playing songs for Drake and Kendrick just knew he wanted to get him on there. Drake and OVO and all them is like family so as soon as they heard that it was all love. As soon as we sent it to them, he sent it right back. Everything we are doing is organic and we have to make it feel that way throughout the record so if Drake is on there it’s because Kendrick felt his voice needed to be on there.”